The Verge reports that the Xbox One will not be backward compatible with Xbox 360 titles. That is according to Mark Whitten, Microsoft’s vice president for Xbox Live.
When asked if Xbox One will be able to play 360 titles over Xbox Live, or by downloading them, or by some means other than a disc, Whitten said the company had no plans for such a service at this time.
“The system is based on a different core architecture, so back-compat doesn’t really work from that perspective,” Whitten told The Verge.
Xbox One will not be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games [The Verge]
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31 responses to “Xbox One Is Not Backward Compatible”
looks like this whole event just became the best advert for the ps4 ever if sony lift their game.
But the PS4 isn’t backwards compatible either…
Neither is the PS3, but Sony had the sense to convert some of their bigger titles into downloadable/playable content, as did Nintendo with the Virtual Console. MS wont even be doing that if this statement is to be taken at face value .
“When asked if Xbox One will be able to play 360 titles over Xbox Live, or by downloading them, or by some means other than a disc, Whitten said the company had no plans for such a service at this time.”
What Microsoft probably won’t do is hardly a selling point for what Sony probably also won’t do. The PS4 architecture is completely different to its predecessors, so there’s no simple port, and PS3 architecture is alien enough that the development time required to make an emulator for it that runs on the PS4 seems prohibitively long.
Edited to add, yes I know the PS4 has a streaming option, but good luck getting a good gaming experience with that. OnLive is terrible.
I fail to see your point in response to my statement.
I was talking about what is already confirmed on Nintendo and PS3, no where did I mention what might or might not be on PS4.
Then you failed to see mine. The Xbox One not being backwards compatible is not a selling point for the PS4 when the PS4 is also not backwards compatible. You replied to me, remember?
Yes, you are correct, I re-read the thread and concede your point.
To be honest though, I dont really get the direction these new consoles are going.
They are trying to be all-in-one, but focus on none.
Unfortunately, this is also meaning that they are not doing anything well.
I think I will keepy my mini-pc for my media entertainment and my PC gaming rig for, well, gaming.
I truly miss the days of my gaming console being a gaming console, and a damn good gaming console!
I like to think of it as a chance for PC (Master Race FTW) to retake the Iron Throne and its rightful place as King of the Gamers, Lord of the Seven Platforms and Protector of the High End Graphics.
I have an X360 and a PS2 (and a SNES and others in storage) but frankly, console gaming is dead to me. If it wasn’t for the exclusives bullshit (where’s my PC version of Red Dead Redemption Rockstar you motherfuckers!) I’d never touch the things.
AMen, your Singin to the Choir @zombiejesus
Ill let my i7 and GTX680 do my gaming.
I havent truly been impressed by console gaming since my PS2, the last of the truly great consoles!
At launch the PS4 will have a Cloud gaming Service. At launch it will allow you to download all PS4 games at Retail price or cheaper, then a short time after launch they will start releasing PS3, PS2 and PS1 games on this Cloud Service. Sony’s plan is to have every game from every Generation of Playstation Consoles released on this Service. You will only need to have around 10-20% of the download completed before you can start playing the game.
When this service is fully functioning, the PS4 will realistically be Backward Compatible. So eventually, any Playstation ge will be downloadable, that well over 3000 games, plus very cheap, even PS3 games will drop in price.
Microsoft have allready screwed up the Xbox Ones launch.
Microsoft only care about profits and its starting to show big time, while PS4 put their consumers first.
Now Microsoft have no plans on releasing past xbox games on Xbox One.
Sony have allready won this generation war of the consoles.
Plus alot of Gaming Retailers that support Used Games arent gonna fully support the Xbox One, they will want the PS4 to sell 50x more so the Used game market can still make a profit. Like I said, Profit isnt the most important thing to Sony, giving their consumers a problem free console is their main concern.
Now we just gotta wait and see how technically flawed the Xbox One will be.
Nope. Online streaming of games is terrible, go and try OnLive and see for yourself. The PS4 won’t stream the game data, it will stream the game video/audio. It requires you to be always online in the true sense of the term. That doesn’t make the console backwards compatible, it just makes it capable of streaming interactive video.
As for the rest of what you said, there’s nothing to rationally respond to. You go on about how your favourite console is better, and then declare Sony has won the generation before it’s even started. People like you said the same thing last generation, and again when the RROD errors gained publicity, and then denied the reality that despite everything, Microsoft still came out on top.
Rather than wearing your fanboy colours proudly, it might be better to wait and see what happens with this generation of consoles before you declare a winner. As far as I’m concerned, none of them (Wii U included) are inspiring in the least.
Ok, Im gonna repeat myself again cause ur an ignorant fool that seems to think he knows more about this service then Sony Themselves.
This is how this Cloud service on PS4 will work in Sonys terms.
The services is basically part of the Playstation Store. You can download the Whole game onto ur HDD before playing it, but you can get the choice to play it while its downloading after it downloads a certain percentage, it will make sure it allways downloads the files to keep ur game experience smooth. But like Sony have said, you can Download the whole game onto ur HDD before playing, with no further downloading required once the download is finished, you can then disconnect from the internet and comtinue playing.
Sony have made it clear that you can use the console without any internet connected, you can play used games without extra cost or internet.
Onlive is a completely different service made by different people, so ur the dumby for comparing it.
And yes I am a Sony Fanboy, cause I know Im not gonna get ripped off.
And unless you havent noticed, PS3 is winning in world wide sales against Xbox 360.
Just cause sales for xbox are higher in america mean nothing. PS3 sales are Higher in Europe in Asia.
Xbox is struggling at the moment and you need to face it
Xbox hasnt been on top for a couple of years. Sony have been releasing High Critically Acclaimed games while Microsoft get crappy elearly access to Cod DLC.
I have been on multiple Big Gaming website and been reading comments and this new xbox is getting a very very bad Reception.
Even the Developers around the world are supporting the PS4.
Your arrogance blows by mind. First you think you know more about the PS4 cloud service which which can download full games and wont require internet after then u say Xbox 360 is still on top.
How can xbox be on top when PS3 was once 10’s of millions of sales behind, and now PS3 is ahead. Its because People are seeing what microsoft are, a money hungry company that just wants to milk its customers.
All my friends have gotten rid of Xbox and got a PS3.
The facts are all in Sony’s favour.
Just be quiet untill you know what ur talking about.
Xbox fanboys did this with the last xbox, they put the PS3 down with false facts and tried to sound like they new what they were talking about..
I will believe Sonys words over your any day since they are making the PS4, not u.
I think ur just jealous and unhappy that xbox one is allready stuffed.
Moderation is too slow.
Here’s another link, so that you can educate yourself on how Sony’s streaming technology works. The service is called Gaikai: http://www.gaikai.com/qa
The PlayStation 4 will use the “PlayStation Cloud” service to stream PS1, PS2, and PS3 games, solving the backward compatibility problem with technology developed by Gaikai. This functionality was first reported last week by the Wall Street Journal, and confirmed today during the PlayStation unveiling event.
http://m.joystiq.com/2013/02/20/playstation-4-will-stream-ps1-ps2-ps3-games/
Gaikai will still allow Direct-2-Hardrive installations.
The Playstation Store store on PS4 will allow u to play Demos Instantly, when you have completed the Demo, it give you the option to buy the game and continue playing While the gme is Downloaded onto ur HDD(Streaming) or wait untill it had been fully Downloaded onto the HDD requiring no further internet connection.
You need to go watch the Playstation Reviel again
You can stop comparing it to OnLive cause that is shit, Sony have bought out Gaikai, Sony arent stupid to make the games on the PS Store allways online to play, especially since alot of countries in Asia and Europe still have average Internet Services.
None of what you said has anything to do with PS3 compatibility, which will be AV streamed to the console from Sony servers. The console can’t process PS3 binaries itself.
Since my other comment is still waiting for moderation (I put some links in for you to read about NPD data), here’s the state of affairs in worldwide sales. I’ll avoid giving links this time, you can look them up yourself.
Microsoft is easy to identify, they give console LTD figures in their quarterly earnings releases. For Q3 FY13, LTD Xbox 360 unit sales are at 77.2 million worldwide. Sony’s reports are harder to read as they only reveal accurate breakdowns at the end of each financial year, and they define their FY differently to Microsoft. From FY11, PS3 total sales were at 63.9 million worldwide. Sony announced at the end of Q2 FY12 that they reached 70 million units, and according to their most recent statement, Q3 FY12 (their most recent quarter) sold 6.8 million PS3 and PS2 collectively. Based on past performance, PS2 figures are estimated to be about half a million units, dropping the figure to around 6.3, and the LTD to around 76.3 million.
Now I don’t rate myself as a maths genius of any calibre, but out of worldwide figures 77.2M and 76.3M, I think the first number is bigger. So until Q4 results come out for both companies, Microsoft is currently in the lead, worldwide, on total units sold over the life of the console.
Now, that aside, here’s what I said originally:
You haven’t been paying attention at all, either to what Sony has said or to what I’ve said. Sony’s PS3 game streaming is handled by AV streaming. Why? Because the PS4 can’t process the game code for PS3 games, regardless of whether it comes from a disc or from the internet. It has no PS3 emulator. If it did, you wouldn’t need to stream the PS3 game, you could just put your PS3 disc in and play it.
PS3 games are not compatible with the PS4. To play PS3 games, you need to stream the audio and video from Sony’s servers, and your console needs to send controller input back. To accomplish this, you need to be online and consuming bandwidth for the entire time you’re playing. This is how OnLive works as well, and it’s a technology that really isn’t ready for production.
The rest of your reply is fanboy drivel with no basis in fact. Next time, before you reply, stop and actually research what we’re talking about. It will save you the embarassment of looking foolish.
I mean… if we ignore the Wii, they are.
Yep, ignoring Wii, which outsold them both. Just between the X360 and the PS3, the X360 has higher worldwide sales.
Sony have said PS3, PS2 and PS1 games are coming to PS4’s cloud service.
So Im supposed to believe ur word over Sony’s.
are you a game Developer, No ur not, so stop contradicting Sony’s words.
You don’t seem to be capable of understanding any words, Sony’s or mine. And yes, I have worked in game development in the past, since you brought it up.
hmmm… Both MS and Sony are basically saying “screw you” to existing customers… I know Sony are offering a streaming service (where you can re-buy your existing cataloge, and will only really work if you have enough internet speed and quota), but still…
And as for MS claiming the new machine is “based on a different core architecture”, this is true, but the 360’s is a custome tripple core Power PC chip, the xBox One is a (fairly, if not completely) standard octacore… I would think that if Microsoft cared to use emulation it would be possible. At least Sony had the excuse of a radical shift in architecture, and still came up with something (albeit terrible for most people).
Realistically both major console makers (I’m not including Nintendo, as the Wii U is virtually dead in the water allready) are making a media PC with Steam’s Big Screen mode way more apealing, especially as with them both shifting to almost standard PC architecture there should be less exclusives. (the problem with a “Steam Box” is that it’s linux, and only a limited number of games run on it)
Of course with Ouya, Nvidia’s Sheild, GameStick, and Google’s renewed focus on improving android gaming, the current majors may start to have real problems soon… or at least I hope so.
xbox one is looking more and more like a non event to me.
backwards compatibility is key, for at least the last generation. people have spent thousands of dollars on their game libraries and dont like seeing them become obsolete overnight.
this might translate to lesser initial sales until the one game library/peripheral add-ons market become stronger and more enticing.
I don’t really see why this is an issue. Is every person that buys an XBox One going to sell their XBox 360s or throw them in the bin or something.
Wouldn’t you want to trade in your old console for the new console from the same company? And Microsoft (and Sony) says, “Well you can’t, because now none of your games will work, and you’ll need 2 consoles to play the old games you love and the new games we’re releasing!”
No I don’t want to trade my old console in, I’ve got a 60GB and EB would probably only give me 30 or 40 dollars for it, if that.
That’d still be $30-40 (probably a significant bit more for more modern versions of the console) off a new console by trading in an old console you wouldn’t need if backwards compatibility was offered.
I see your point, but the console launches in what, 6-7 months (possibly longer for Australia), if a person can’t save an extra $30-$40 in that time there’s something wrong.
Does anyone else think this ongoing lack of backwards compatibility (or a simple system for it) is one of the main reasons gamers aren’t so keen on the new consoles? One of the key reasons I got a PS2 and a Wii was because my PS1 and Gamecube games still worked on them respectively and they were easy as hell to load, there was no faffing about. Wii U has backwards compatibility but you have to go through “Wii Mode” to get it, which is kind of frustrating. PS3 and 360 gamers who own a large library of games (physical and digital) for their consoles surely won’t be pleased to know that NONE of those games will be compatible with the new consoles.
I’m not keen on them because the last generation of consoles basically destroyed some of the flexibility of the gaming industry. It lasted far too long, forcing developers to shun graphics and processing updates because 6 year old technology couldn’t handle it, and encouraged publisher lock-in like never before. Rockstar is by far the most disappointing example, where they gave PC a terrible GTA4 port, never bothered porting Red Dead Redemption (which would have sold like hotcakes) and probably won’t be giving PC a good GTA5 port any time soon either.
Forget that. With PC as the dominant platform, everyone wins. With consoles dominant, everyone loses out on something, to some extent.
Sorry Microsoft and Sony, I won’t be purchasing your systems from day 1, looks like I’ll be sticking with my Wii U for a while.
Backwards compatibility is a big deal for me as the previous console if it does well still sometimes gets supported for a year or 2 after its successor comes out (see PS2 and DS) but my living room doesn’t have enough room to hold that many consoles